Latch operator



Nov. 2, 1954 Filed Aug. 2, 1951 WITNESSESi P. C. KORODI LATCH OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ,1; PAUL c. KORODI mg 48 ATTORNEY Y Nov. 2, 1954 KQRODI 2,693,383

LATCH OPERATOR WITNESSES: F IG. 4. INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 2,693,383 Patented .Nov. 2,. 1954 LATCH OPERATOR Paul: C.-Korodi, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania- Application August 2,1951, Serial No. 240,011

5. Claims. (CL. 292-3363) This. invention relates to operators forlatching mechanisms and has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this kind.

A further. object of the invention is to provide an improved. latch operator for a refrigerator door wherein cocking or releasing of the latch is accomplished by movement of theoperator in any one of three directions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a latch. operator of the typeset forth-which is accessible from the exterior of the door for removal and replacement or adjustment.

In practicing the invention'as applied to a refrigerator door, a conventional latching mechanism is arrangedwithin-thedoor, which mechanism includes a bolt which retains the door in closed position and which is adjustable to a. retracted or cocked position for opening the door. An operator, constructed in accordance with the invention, is carried on the exterior'of the door for theoperation of the latching mechanism. The operator includes a handle which may be moved in any one of three directionsfor retracting'the bolt, that is, it may be moved to the right or left or may be pulled forward to cited this operation. A plate secured to the front of the door carries a stud having a frusto-spherical head which seats in a frusto-spherical recess in the hub of the handle to provide universal movementofthe handle. The plate is provided with camming means which imparts a forward movement to the handle when the'latter is moved to.'the.right' or left and which also permits direct-forward movement of the handle. A push pin abutting the hub of-the handle passes through the plate anddoor" for the actuation of the latch mechanism. The arrangement is such that all portions of the operator are accessible from the front of the door for servicing. Furthermore, the operating parts may be compactly arranged to provide a hub mechanism for the handle relatively small in size and attractive in appearance.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a domestic refrigerator having my improved latch operator attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the supporting plate of the operator; and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the handle hub structure.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein I have elected to disclose my invention applied to a domcstic refrigerator including a cabinet structure and a door 11 hinged to the cabinet structure in any suitable manner. As best shown in Fig. 2, the door 11 is formed of outer and inner panels 12 and 13 which are secured together at their margins by fastening screws 14 which also serve to retain a gasket 15 in place. Heat insulating material is disposed between the panels 12 and 13. Also disposed between the panels 12 and 13 is a suitable latching mechanism 16 having a retractible bolt 17 which, in the position of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, engages a striker 18 carried by a wall of the cabinet 10 for retaining the door 11 in closed position. Opening of the door is effected by cooking or retracting the bolt 17 to the rear and right, as viewed in Fig. 2, sufliciently to clear the striker 18, whereupon the door may be swung open. The cocking or retracting of the bolt 17 is carriedout by moving a push pin 19'inwardly of the latching mechanism 16and movement of the-bolt 17 to its latched position is automatically effected when the" bolt 17 engages. the striker 18 upon closing of the door; For the sake of brevity and 'clearness and since they form no part of the present invention, the details of the latching mechanism 16' per se have been omitted. It'will besuflicient to state that the mechanism 16 is moved to. its unlatched position when pressure is applied upwardly to. the push pin 19; as viewed in Fig. 2, and thatithe mechanism 16"is actuated to its latched position automatically upon engagement of thebolt 17with the striker I8; Alatching mechanism, generallyof thetype shown at 16, is disclosed in Anderson Patent No. 2,385,961.

In accordance withmy invention, an improved operator,.generallyindicatedxat 21, is provided for the operation" of the latching'mechanism '16. Theoperator 21 includes ahandle 22 and is of the type which effects unlatching'of the mechanism 16" when thehandle 22 is moved to the right or left. or withdrawn outwardly as viewedinFig. 1. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the operator 21 includes a plate 23" which is secured to the outer panel .12, preferably by screws .24, the heads of which are accessible from 'the exterior of the door. The plate 23 is provided with a central boss 25 having a threaded opening 26 formed therein for the reception of a threaded stud 27. The plate 23 is further provided with a rearwardly extendingboss 28 havinga suitable opening'formed'therein for slidably supporting the push pin 19: The latter is biased outwardly at all times by a compression spring 29 which is interposedbetween a portion of the latching mechanism 16 and a shoulder 31 fixedto the pin-19; as best shown in Fig. 2. The plate 23 is" further provided with a fixed. cam 32' arcuate in configuration, as shown in Fig. 4, and having terminal raisedportions 33 and 34 and anlintermediatelow portion 35" (see Fig. 2). j

Cooperating with the plate 23is amovable hub member 36'having a frusto-sph'ericalrecess 37forrned.cen trally therein for engagement. with a. frusto-spherical. surface 38.formed.on the head.39'of the.stud. 27. As best shown in Figs. 3' and .5, thebodyof the stud. 27 extends through'a. radially extendingpassage41-formed in the hub.36.- It will be apparent thatthedescribed support for th'ehub 36 will'permit universalmovement thereof relative the stud 27 and plate 23. The hub 36 is provided with a surface 42 adjacent the periphery thereof which engages the push pin 19 and the opposite side of the hub carries a follower or roller 43 which rides on the cam 32. The roller 43 may be supported in any suitable manner, such as by means of a shaft 44 which is journaled in ribs 45 carried by the hub 36.

The hub 36 is actuated by the handle 22 and may be formed integrally therewith. However, for manufacturing reasons I prefer to employ a handle 22 which is recessed, as shown at 46 to receive the hub 36, the latter being attached to the handle 22 by screws 47, the heads of which are accessible from the front of the handle 22. For the sake of appearance, a cover or medallion 48 is fitted within the handle 22 for covering the hub structure thereof and a decorative trim 47a may be attached to the outer door panel 12 for enclosing the plate 23. As best shown in Fig. 3, the handle 22 is provided with an inwardly extending flange portion 49 which encloses the hub 36 and which extends through a suitable opening 50 formed in the decorative trim 47a.

The operation of my improved latch operator will be apparent from the foregoing description. It will be noted that if the handle 22 is tilted forwardly, the hub 36 will swivel about the frusto-spherical surface 38 of the stud 27 and the surface 42 of the hub will move the operating pin 19 inwardly of the latch structure 16 for the retracting of the bolt 17. During this movement of the handle, the roller 43 is disengaged from the cam 32. Movement of the handle 22 angularly about the axis of the stud 27 either to the right or left will cause the roller 43 to ride on either the cam surface 33 or 34 and a tilting movement will be imparted to the handle 22 and the hub 36 for the inward movement of the operating push pin 19. Suitable means may be employed for limiting the amount of tilting movement of the handle 22. As shown, the amount of tilting movement of the handle is limited by the surface 51 of the hub 36 which contacts the side of the stud 27 in the outermost position of the handle 22.

From the foregoing description, it Will be apparent that I have provided an improved latch operator of the so-called three way type wherein the elements of the swivelling mechanism are compactly arranged to enhance the appearance of the operator. Furthermore, all elements of the operator are accessible from the front side of the door and may be readily inspected and serviced.

The term frusto-spherical as herein used refers to the surface configuration lying between two spaced planes passed through the same half of a spherical body. This configuration may be either convex, as taken from the outer surface of a spherical body, or concave, as taken from the inner surface of a hollow spherical body.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In an operator for a latch structure having a retractible bolt, the combination of a member for actuating the bolt, a plate having an opening therein for movably supporting the member, a handle having a hub engaging said member, means connecting said hub and plate and affording universal movement of the handle relative to the plate, said opening in the plate being arranged on one side of said connecting means, a cam structure formed on the plate on the opposite side of the connecting means and a follower carried by the hub and riding on the cam structure.

2. In an operator for a latch mechanism, the combination of a plate, a hub, means attaching said hub to the plate and affording universal movement of the hub relative to the plate, a handle for the hub, said plate having an opening therein disposed on one side of said attaching means, a pin abutting the hub and extending through said opening for actuating said latch mechanism, camming means carried by the plate on another side of the attaching means and a follower movable with the hub and riding on the camming means.

3. In an operator for a latch mechanism, the combination of a plate, a handle including a hub having a frusto-spherical seat formed therein, a stud fixed to the plate and extending through said hub, said stud having a head engaging said seat for affording substantially universal movement of the handle relative to the plate, said plate having an opening therein arranged at one side of the stud, a pin passing through the opening for the operation of said latch mechanism, said pin abutting the hub, a cam structure carried by the plate on another side of the stud and a follower movable with the hub and riding on the cam structure.

4. In an operator for a latch mechanism, the combination of a plate, a hub having a frusto-spherical seat formed therein and an opening extending across a portion of the seat, a stud fixed to said plate and extending through said opening, said stud having a head disposed within said seat and providing for universal movement of the hub relative to said plate, a handle secured to said hub, said plate having an opening therein at one side of the stud, a pin disposed in said opening for the actuation of the latch mechanism, said pin at its outer end abutting the rub, and camming means interposed between the plate and the hub on another side of the stud for tilting the hub and the handle when the latter is moved angularly about the axis of said stud, said camming means affording movement of the handle and the hub in a plane including the axis of the stud.

5. In an operator for a latch mechanism, the combination of a plate, a hub having a frusto-spherical seat formed therein and an opening extending across a portion of the seat, a stud fixed to said plate and extending through said opening, said stud having a head disposed within said seat and providing for universal movement of the hub relative to said plate, a handle secured to said hub, said plate having an opening therein at one side of the stud, a pin disposed in said opening for the actuation of the latch mechanism, said pin at its outer end abutting the hub, whereby said pin is moved when the handle and the hub are tilted in a plane containing the axis of said stud, and camming means between the hub and the plate for effecting movement of said pin when the hub and the handle are rotated about the axis of said stud.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,203,341 Roedding June 4, 1940 2,334,065 Burke Nov. 9, 1943 2,359,150 Peglow Sept. 26, 1944 2,385,961 Anderson Oct. 2, 1945 

